Govt abolishes National Service and controversial BTN, says Syed Saddiq

Kamles Kumar Kamles Kumar Updated 7 years ago · Published on 13 Aug 2018 12:14PM · 2 Comments

PUTRAJAYA has scrapped the National Service training programme (PLKN) and shut down the controversial National Civics Bureau (BTN), said Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.

The youth and sports minister said the government would introduce a “youth of the future” programme to shape young Malaysians.

“This new programme will be managed by the ministry, which will be restructuring the functions, scope, financial allocations, and assets of PLKN and BTN,” he said in a press conference in Parliament today.

The Muar lawmaker said the new programme would combine indoor activities and outdoor activities to bring up the potential of youths according to the federal constitution.

The programme’s elements will include team-building, character-building, national integration, and political socialisation.

Syed added the new programme would be free from racial and political doctrinarians, which the BTN had been accused of.

“This engagement session will reflect the aspirations of the Pakatan Harapan government to ensure the programme is more inclusive, transparent, and free from political and racial doctrinarians,” he said.

Last week, Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu told Parliament that the programme had trained 885,956 Malaysians in 14 years.

Of the total trainees, 356,411 had joined the National Service Volunteer Brigade.

In June, the National Service Training Department announced that the PLKN Third Group Series 15/2018 was postponed until further notice.

This was because the intake of trainees for the year had exceeded the target of 20,022 people, it said.

BTN has been accused of brainwashing civil servants against the previous opposition by Barisan Nasional. – August 13, 2018.

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Comments

  • Before the existing BTN workforce is absorbed into other ministries, please make sure they are debriefed and doctrined in the correct and right beliefs... before they pollute others with their own convulated principles!
    YB Syed should make sure that the workforce for the new set-up should be thoroughly trained before assuming their positions. In addition, there should be a committee that oversees all initiatives and programmes to be conducted. The committee should include YB and should give the final approval before nationwide programmes are implemented. This is important to safeguard the integrity of the programmes and so that they are in line with the natIonal aspirations of the PH government in creatIng a level-headed society..

    Posted 7 years ago by Thiruchelvam Thirunavukarasu · Reply

  • Why not real national service so that we can churn out combat ready guys?

    Posted 7 years ago by K Pop · Reply